Does reciting the Rosary bore you?

There are many ways to approach this traditional prayer that will make it meaningful. Early in his pontificate, St. John Paul II confided that the Rosary was his favorite prayer. “It is marvelous both in its profoundness and its simplicity,” he said. This, however this is not how many of us feel about praying the rosary.

Some prefer the intimacy of contemplation or the solemnity of a Mass to a succession of “Hail Marys,” but for those who struggle with the Rosary, it’s important to know that there is more than one way of reciting this powerful prayer.

Meditating on the mysteries throughout the day

Reciting the Rosary requires calm and concentration. It sets us in motion on a path to Christ with Mary guiding us along the way. As we echo the words, they reveal all of their significance. “Rejoice, highly favored one,” said the angel to Mary, and all of Israel, all of mankind, the whole universe rejoiced with her. Salvation began with these words. So, whenever we recite the Rosary, we are always sharing in Mary’s joy of receiving the Savior.

To spare us the “mechanical” repetition, St. John Paul II invited us to meditate together with Mary on the mystery that was the life of Christ. We can focus on an image or on a specific passage from the Gospel as we calmly recite the angelic greeting or simply contemplate the various aspects of Christ’ life at different times of day.

Mary’s favorite prayer

St. Pius X once claimed: “Give me an army to recite a Rosary and I will conquer the world.” Reciting rosaries is a wonderfully simple way of interceding on the behalf of all those who have entrusted themselves to us.

This form of prayer is pleasing to the Virgin Mary, who always asks for the Rosary to be said wherever she appears. The profound reasons might escape us, but let us not forget it was the simple act of plunging seven times into Jordan that rid the skeptical Namaan the leper of his disease … and this is also what reciting the Rosary does.

Father Nicolas Buttet